Multiple suspension device



J. H. JOHNSON MULTIPLE SUSPENS ION DEVICE Oct. 17, 1967 I M l y n 05 a MN m WM m a H e a N 2 M J Filed Oct. 20, 1965 BY adlougm A TFO NEYS Oct. 17, 1967 J. H. JOHNSON 3,347,611

MULTIPLE SUSPENSION DEVICE I v Filed Oct. 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 75 2 1 92. I w 15 INVENTOR. JOHN H. JOH/V50/V ATTO NEYS United States Patent 3,347,611 MULTIPLE SUSPENSION DEVICE John H. Johnson, Jamestown, N.Y., assignor to Art Metal, Inc., Jamestown, N.Y. Filed (Pet. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,878 1 Claim. (Cl. 312-311) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cabinet construction having a hinged closure, a platform and a suspension system for supporting both to be extended and retracted. The suspension system includes a cradle for the closure and a closure motion stop device including a pivoted slotted link in sliding engagement with a pin mounted on a bracket supporting fine adjustment screws which stop the closure in horizontal attitude.

This invention relates to filing cabinets or like enclosures; and more particularly to mechanisms for mounting thereon vertically swinging and receding cabinet closures, and slidingly extendable drawers, trays, or shelves or the like, such as are sometimes generically referred to hereinafter as platforms.

It is a specific object of the invention to provide for installation in an open front type cabinet or the like, a novel suspension system comprising; in combination, improved means for suspending within said cabinet a sliding drawer or platform or the like, and for also slidably suspending a cradle device upon which is hingedly connected a cabinet closure panel; the closure panel has a motion stop device associated therewith, including adjustment means for positioning the panel in horizontal attitude when swung open. Hence, in order to gain access to the cabinet contents the closure panel is first manually swung from vertically standing cabinet-closing position about a horizontally disposed hinge mechanism into horizontally extending cabinet-open position, and then is either left to remain in horizontal work-shelf attitude or is manually pushed back into the interior of said cabinet. In either case the platform (drawer or tray or shelf, as the case may be) is thereupon uncovered and is movable in and out of the cabinet on said suspension means, for access to the contents thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification hereinafter and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a typical filing cabinet construction, showing a pair of suspension mechanisms of the present invention assembled therein at vertically spaced positions, and illustrating by means of solid vs. broken lines the operating facilities of the mechanisms;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken as suggested by line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as suggested by line 33 of FIG. 1.

As shown in the drawing herewith, and referring more specifically to FIG. 1 wherein a pair of suspension mechanisms which are designed generally at 10 are illustrated as being mounted in a filing cabinet 12 or the like at vertically spaced positions therein; each mechanism 10 comprises a pair of roller-track devices fixed to the opposite inner side walls 15, 15, of the cabinet 12, by means of screws 17, 17. Each of the track devices includes a pair of vertically spaced, parallel, horizontally extending track members 18, 19. Thus, for example, filing drawers or the like as indicated generally at may be slidably mounted in the upper track members 19, 19 as by means of roller suspension devices illustrated at 22; and are thereby freely movable between retracted positions inside the cabinet,

3,347,611 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 and pulled-out, contents-available broken lines in FIG. 1.

The rail portion 18 of each track device is of channelsectioned form, thereby being adapted to support in freely rolling fashion therein a pair of rollers 24, 24 which are mounted in fore and aft spaced relation on an upturned end plate portion 26 of a cradle member 28 which extends laterally of the cabinet opening and integrally interconnects the upturned end plate portions 26, 26. The parts are so arranged that the main plate portion 28 of the cradle device is thereby supported in horizontal attitude by the rollers 24 to extend transversely of the interior of the cabinet and in close juxtaposition below the path of travel of the next above filing drawer.

The closure for the cabinet opening, as indicated generally at 3tl, is thereby adapted to be hingedly connected to the cradle plate 28 as by means of leaf hinges 32, 32; the hinges being shown in the drawing herewith as being spot-weld attached to the closure panel and attached to the cradle plate 28 by means of machine screws 34. The hinge devices 32, 32, may include any preferred pintle means, albeit they are shown herein as being interconnected by means of a common pintle wire member 36; and in any event the closure 30 will be thereby hingedly connected along its bottom edge to the cradle plate 28. Hence, when the closure 30 is swung down to a horizontally extending attitude as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, it may then be retracted Within the cabinet by simply pushing against it rearwardly, whereby the cradle member will roll rearwardly on the track members 18, 18, as to the broken line position thereof shown in the upper portion of FIG.

positions as shown by 1 of the drawing. It will be appreciated of course that the closure may be fully retracted under the filing drawer thereabove; or, in the alternative, the closure may be only partially retracted. Or, if preferred, the closure may be left to remain fully outside of the cabinet in its fully extended work-shelf position, as shown for example by solid lines at the top of FIG. 1 of the drawing.

To maintain the closure 30 in a horizontal extending position, as shown herein it is provided with a pair of crank arms or horns 38, 38 at opposite ends thereof, which pivotally connect as indicated at 35V, 39 to the ends of corresponding slotted links 40, 40. Each link engages a headed pin 42 carried by a vertically adjustable angle bracket 44 which is positionally fixed upon the cradle end plate as by means of machine screws 45. As indicated at 46, a screw-adjustable stop device is provided to facilitate fine adjustments of the vertical positionings of the angle brackets 44. Thus, upon assembly of the parts the vertical positionings of the pins 42-42 may be finally adjusted to compensate for any manufacturing variances, and to insure that the closure panel will stop its downswinging motion in a precisely horizontal attitude; being thereby readily retractable within the enclosure and between vertically adjacent drawers, platforms or the like, as explained hereinabove.

It is to be understood that whereas the drawing and specification hereinabove are illustrative of only one form of suspension mechanism, various changes may be made therein within the concept of the present invention. For example, the drawing herewith illustrates the suspension track devices at opposite sides of the cabinet to comprise rail members which are integrally interconnected. In such case the parts may be readily fabricated as standard items, easily assembled in the cabinet shell, as by means of screws 17. On the other hand, it will of course be appreciated that any other type suspension devices may be employed wherein the roller or slide support devices (as the case may be) may be either separately or integrally fabricated, and mounted in the cabinet shell in any other preferred manner. Thus, although only one specific form of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail hereinabove, various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In combination, an enclosure including opposite side walls defining a vertically disposed opening at the front of the enclosure, a platform disposed within said enclosure to be retractable-extendable relative to said enclosure, a closure for said opening, and a suspension system; said suspension system comprising a pair of suspenion devices mounted respectively on opposite of said side walls and a cradle device, each of said suspension devices including a pair of vertically separate rail portions, said cradle device traversing the interior of said enclosure and movably engaging at its opposite ends upon corresponding rail portions of said suspensiondevices, said platform engaging at its opposite sides upon'corresponding other rail portions of said devices, said closure being hingedly connected to said cradle to swing thereon between vertically a pin carried by said bracket and engaged in said slot of the link and a fine adjustment screw for vertically positioning said bracket to stop said closure in horizontal attitude. I

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,295,368 9/1942 Suomala. 2,758,387 8/1956- Stann 3l2-311 X 2,853,355 9/1958 Paca et al 3l2311 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

